(AP) A day following the deaths of four Boy Scout leaders at the National Jamboree, Boy Scouts line up...Full Image

BOWLING GREEN, Va. (AP) - They were deeply devoted to the Boy Scouts, traveling thousands of miles to the woods of northern Virginia for 10 fun-filled days of fishing, archery and storytelling beside the campfire. One of their first tasks: Set up a large tent.

But the task went terribly awry when they lost control of a giant tent pole and it hit some nearby power lines, killing four Scout leaders as horrified youngsters looked on, said Bill Haines, a Scout executive in Alaska.

Karl Holfeld said his 15-year-old son Taylor, witnessed the accident and was on his cell phone to his mother back home in Alaska when the electrocutions occurred.

(AP) Task Force Public Affairs officer, Maj. Vince Mitchell, speaks to members of the media during a...Full Image

The Scouts spent Tuesday reviewing safety procedures and mourning the deaths of the four men, but said the event would begin Wednesday as planned, with an evening speech by President Bush. A memorial service will be held during the opening ceremony of the Jamboree, which draws more than 40,000 Scouting enthusiasts from around the world.

Scout adviser David Tracewell, 54, of Kansas City, said that the mood "became very somber" as word of the tragedy spread around Fort A.P. Hill - a sprawling Army base about an hour south of Washington.

"These scout leaders ... get to know these kids very well," he said. "I'm sure these kids are devastated. They're their mentors, their leaders that become like their second dads."

The dead were identified as Michael J. Shibe, 49, Mike Lacroix, 42, and Ronald H. Bitzer, 58, all of Anchorage; and Scott Edward Powell, 57, of Perrysville, Ohio. Shibe had two sons at the Jamboree and Lacroix had one; the three children all returned home to Alaska.

Three other adults suffered minor injuries.

(AP) A day following the deaths of four Boy Scout leaders at the National Jamboree, a group of Boy...Full Image

The event was closed to visitors Tuesday. Boy Scouts spokesman Gregg Shields gave few details about the accident and was unable to say how long the investigation might take. Army officials are assisting.

"Our hearts go out to the families of these dedicated Scout leaders who gave so much to their sons, their troops and their communities," Shields told reporters, his voice choked with emotion.

Scout Kenny Suggs, 17, of Baltimore said he did not hear about the accident until Tuesday morning when the scoutmaster told the troop what happened.

"It was pretty frightening," Suggs said.

The victims came from many different professions, but they had one thing in common: They were all avid Scout leaders.

(AP) A day following the deaths of four Boy Scout leaders at the National Jamboree, a group of Boy...Full Image

This was Shibe's third national Jamboree and his four sons were all Boy Scouts, according to Meg Stapleton, who is assisting the family. The two oldest, Brent and Neal, are Eagle Scouts whom Shibe had taken to a previous Jamboree.

Powell retired to Ohio about a year ago after living for 30 years in Alaska, where he ran a Scout camp. He accepted an invitation to the Jamboree - the last slot for an adult - when he was back in Anchorage this month for the camp's 50th anniversary, said his sister, Anne Rentfrow.

Powell taught scores of boys how to rappel, how to safely use knives and axes and how to find their way through the thick Alaskan forests using a compass. He also had a penchant for storytelling that came in handy in the glow of the campfire.

"He was the quintessential 'Boy,'" said Wayne Starr, a district commissioner for the Boy Scouts in Alaska.

Bitzer is a retired attorney who worked in scouting for years and gave up his law practice to work with the organization, Starr said.

"These parents were there doing their part to help their children have a better understanding of service and leadership and making the right choices in life."

But, McClellan added: "Those parents would want the Boy Scouts to continue forward in their important work."

The Jamboree, held every four years since 1937, runs through Aug. 3. Scouts ages 12-18 are to spend 10 days camping in tents and doing activities that include archery, fishing and a GPS-based scavenger hunt.

There are about 400 electrocutions each year in the U.S., and about a quarter of them are related to power lines, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.---

Associated Press Writer Larry O'Dell contributed to this story from Bowling Green; Jeannette J. Lee contributed to this story from Anchorage.

I don't mean to sound insensitive or uncaring. I think the deaths of those men is a tragedy. Nevertheless, there is one fatal flaw in the actions of those Scout Leaders. They did a very poor risk assessment in the setting up of this tent. Using tall metal poles in the vicinity of high power lines is not the brightest thing to do. Again, I do apologize if my opinion offends, but let's hope others learn from this mistake.

There are about 400 electrocutions each year in the U.S., and about a quarter of them are related to power lines.

Several TV stations have lost their news trucks (burned up) when the operator raised the truck's microwave antenna into an overhead power line. Anyone that works under or near power lines should have safety training.

A terrible tragedy With all of the base closings on the table why doesn't the Govt donate some of those unused facilities to the Scouts in areas where a better camp or a new camp is needed? Just a thought

A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, thrifty, obedient, cheerful, brave, clean and reverent. It applies to the adults as well as the boys. I know. Much of my successes in life, I owe to a dedicated Scoutmaster, Dr. Carl A. Zapfee.

I thought of him when I read this story originally. I thanked Dr. Zapfee's widow, Denise, for "sharing him with us" at his funeral. And I stood at attention with the Scout salute, as he passed by the last time, in his casket.

you have to realize they were in new territory probably using new equipment. Most campgrounds don't usually have wires like that nearby so it wouldn't have been on their minds. A "jamboree troop" is not your normal troop, you have a scoutmaster from a troop picked by the council to represent a "jambo troop" and most of the boys come from within the local Scout Council.

Even though they went on one or two practice trips in Alaska, being in VA with kids you don't really know, the stress and the excitement of it all, the leaders are not the same. I could see how an accident like this happened. I'm wondering how high the lines were.

"I trust the judgment of the leaders who are there with them," she said.

Sorry for this tragedy, but I would not entrust my kids to 4 adults who play with long metal pole around power lines, this is an ultimate stupidity, total ignorance, poor jugement, and childish carelesness.

........ people do stupid things. I'm not sure assessing blame is necessary here.

Well, actually, as is the case in military after-action analysis, assessing screw ups can save lives in the future.

As my namesake wrote 21 centuries ago:

".........there are two ways by which all men may reform themselves, either by learning from their own errors or from those of others; the former makes a more striking demonstration, the latter a less painful one."

I don't mean to sound insensitive or uncaring. I think the deaths of those men is a tragedy./i>

Neither do I. I'm trying to understand WHY the ADULTS were putting up the tent. I mean, maybe scouting has changed, but the whole purpose of being a scout is learning and doing. Not having parents or parental figures do work FOR YOU..

15
posted on 07/26/2005 10:31:28 PM PDT
by Experiment 6-2-6
(When the disbeliever sees this, he will say, 'How nice if I was also turned into sand.')

Most campgrounds don't usually have wires like that nearby so it wouldn't have been on their minds.

You don't have to have power lines in your mind, but I don't believe neither of the four people raising the pole did not see the power lines when raising the pole. When you are raising a pole, your head goes up and your eyes follow the end of the pole, power line is not a needle on the sky background, you have to be blind or under some kind of influence not to see it. This is one of those tragedies which should never happen. The victims paid the ultimate price for their recklessness.

But the task went terribly awry when they lost control of a giant tent pole and it hit some nearby power lines,

Accidents do happen, even if we try to claim that they never should. I will accept that these men were "doing their best." Heartfelt sympathies to all. I would hate losing any of my fellow Cub Scout leaders and I would punch anyone of spoke ill of them.

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